HOWARD — As any coach will tell you, it’s better to win ugly than to lose pretty.
The Fredericktown Freddies did just that on Friday, winning an ugly down-to-the-wire slugfest with the East Knox Bulldogs, 10-8, in Mid-Buckeye Conference football action.
Fredericktown (4-3, 3-1 MBC) went into the game without its best weapon, Matt Smith, who was sidelined with an injury. The Freddies turned to their other experienced backs, Joey Burns and Cody McGuire, to carry the offense. Both rushers are solid, but do not have the breakaway speed of Smith. As a result, the Freddies nickled and dimed their way down the field.
“East Knox played hard,” said Fredericktown head coach Brian Baum. “We have a new center, and our two running backs are good at running the ball up the middle. ... (East Knox) was getting into the backfield, getting on the running backs’ legs and slowing them up.”
East Knox’s defensive front seven filled the gaps created by Fredericktown’s patchwork offensive line, preventing any big gains. Several Bulldogs, including Mason Lyon and A.J. Wicks, made it difficult for Fredericktown’s ballcarriers to get out of the backfield.
